A gaming system includes a display mounted to a cabinet and configured to display an outcome of a wagering game, the outcome being randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager. The gaming system further includes an armrest panel mounted to the cabinet and including a support padding having a wall thickness defined by an exterior surface and an interior surface. The wall thickness varies along a cross-section of the support padding. The armrest panel further includes a plurality of buttons integrated in the support padding for receiving inputs from a player, the plurality of buttons including a first button mounted on a first elevation of the support padding and a second button mounted on a second elevation of the support padding. The first elevation is higher than the second elevation relative to the interior surface.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A gaming machine comprising: a cabinet; at least one display mounted to the cabinet and configured to display an outcome of a wagering game, the outcome being randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager; and an armrest panel mounted to the cabinet and including a support padding, and a plurality of buttons integrated in the support padding for receiving inputs from a player, the plurality of buttons including a first button mounted in a recessed position relative to a second button.
2. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the support padding has a wall thickness defined by an exterior surface and an interior surface, the wall thickness varying along a cross-section of the support padding, the support padding being selected from a group consisting of a urethane material and a leather material.
3. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the support padding has a contoured top surface including a first section and a second section, the first section being recessed relative to the second section, the first button being disposed in the first section and the second button being disposed in the second section.
4. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the support padding has a plurality of sections along the cross-section, the plurality of sections including a wrist section and a player-facing section, the wall thickness of each of the wrist section and the player-facing section being greater than the wall thickness of other sections of the plurality of sections.
5. The gaming machine of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of sections has a generally nominal and uniform will thickness.
6. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein an interior surface of the support padding is directly attached to a structural substrate, the structural substrate being shaped to delineate a contour of the interior surface, the structural substrate being either a sheet metal of constant thickness or a molded plastic material.
7. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of buttons includes button clusters segregated in accordance with button functions.
8. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the first button is mounted at a different angle than the second button.
9. The gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of buttons includes a third button mounted in a recessed position relative to the second button, the first button being mounted at a first angle and the third button being mounted at a second angle, the first angle being different than the second angle.
10. A gaming system comprising: a gaining machine including a cabinet, an electronic display device mounted to the cabinet and configured to display a wagering game outcome that is randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager; and an armrest panel mounted to the cabinet of the gaming machine and including a support padding, and a plurality of buttons integrated in the support padding for receiving inputs from a player, the plurality of buttons including a first button mounted at a first elevation of the support padding and a second button mounted at a second elevation of the support padding, the first elevation being different than the second elevation.
11. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the support padding has a wall thickness varying along a cross-section of the support padding, and wherein the first elevation is higher than the second elevation relative to a horizontal plane.
12. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the first elevation is closer to the electronic display device than the second elevation.
13. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the first button is mounted at a different angle than the second button.
14. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of buttons includes a first cluster of buttons and a second cluster of buttons, the first cluster of buttons including the first button and the second cluster of buttons including the second button, each button of the first cluster of buttons being mounted at the first elevation and each button of the second cluster of buttons being mounted at the second elevation.
15. The gaming system of claim 10 , wherein the support padding has a contoured top surface including a first section and a second section, the first section being recessed relative to the second section, the first button being disposed in the first section and the second button being disposed in the second section.
16. An armrest panel for a gaming machine, the gaming machine including a cabinet and an electronic display device mounted to the cabinet, the electronic display device being configured to display a wagering game outcome that is randomly selected from a plurality of outcomes in response to receiving a wager, the armrest panel comprising: a support padding mounted to the cabinet; and a plurality of buttons integrated in the support padding for receiving inputs from a player, the plurality of buttons including a first button mounted at a first elevation of the support padding and a second button mounted at a second elevation of the support padding, the first elevation being different than the second elevation.
17. The armrest panel of claim 16 , wherein the first elevation is higher than the second elevation relative to a horizontal plane.
18. The armrest panel of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of buttons includes a first cluster of buttons and a second cluster of buttons, the first cluster of buttons including the first button and the second cluster of buttons including the second button, each button of the first cluster of buttons being mounted at the first elevation and each button of the second cluster of buttons being mounted at the second elevation.
19. The armrest panel of claim 16 , wherein the support padding has a contoured top surface including a first section and a second section, the first section being recessed relative to the second section, the first button being disposed in the first section and the second button being disposed in the second section.
20. The armrest panel of claim 16 , wherein the first button is mounted at a different angle than the second button.
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February 24, 2015
May 3, 2016
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